Who is Mena Massoud? Aladdin actor and star of Jack Ryan series – all you need to know
Mena is the lucky man who has just landed a role in the Guy Ritchie remake of Aladdin
DISNEY has finally found the star of its upcoming live action movie version of Aladdin.
Mena Massoud will play the thief who uses the help of a genie - now played by Will Smith - to woo a princess. But what do we know about Mr Massoud?
Who is Mena Massoud, how old is he and what is his background?
Mena Massoud is an Egyptian actor who was raised in Ontario, Canada and has just been cast in Guy Ritchie's live action remake of Disney's Aladdin.
In the US, Mena is best-known for his role as Jared in the series Open Heart.
His breakout TV part in 2011 was as an Al Qaeda operative in a 2011 episode of spy series Nikita.
He's also known for appearing in Canadian show Saving Hope and for starring in the 2014 comedy Americanistan.
But his career is taking flight now and he's set to play Tarek, a CIA analyst, in the Jack Ryan series for Amazon, directed by Michael Bay and starring Abbie Cornish and John Krasinski.
Mena's role in Aladdin seems poetic because the performer says he was originally inspired to act by Robin Williams, who played the genie in the 1992 animation.
The ethnicity and nationality of the actor has been quibbled online by fans criticising Disney's casting choice for Middle Eastern character Aladdin.
However, some fans have been celebrating the fact that a "genuine Arab" has been given the role.
Mena has spoken in the past about how his background has disadvantaged his professional life.
In a recent interview he said: “At this point in my career, being a visible minority in this industry still affects me...
“I can’t compete for roles that require me to be Caucasian or African American, even if those characters really connect with me and intrigue me.
"The competition may be less, some people would say, but the amount of work to be had is less as well. "However, I think the industry is growing more and more and starting to support actors of all cultural backgrounds.”
What has Mena said about his casting in Aladdin?
Mena tweeted: “So honored & grateful for the opportunity to help bring this magical story to life once again. Let’s get to work!”
Disney struggled for months to find the right actors for its main cast, with Little Mix's Jade Thirlwall even having her name thrown into the hat for Princess Jasmine.
It's now been announced that British Indian actress Naomi Scott will be playing Jasmine.
